Before getting the quotes about the Lotus Sutra that I want to share, I need to underscore the very different nature of Thich Nhat Hanh’s practice. This is not Nichiren Shu Buddhism. In discussing Chapter 24, Wonderful-Sound Bodhisattva, he explains: Those of us who are musicians, composers, and singers can follow the path of Bodhisattva … Continue reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s Practice
Venerable Mahā-Kāśyapa was the most honorable among the Buddha’s disciples. Concerning his lineage, he was the son of Nyagrodha, a millionaire in Magadha, India. The house of his millionaire father was as huge as 1,000 tatami mats, with each mat being seven feet thick and costing at least 1,000 ryō (gold coins). His house had … Continue reading The Lineage of Mahā-Kāśyapa
When the sky is blue, the land is bright. In this way those who know the Lotus Sutra can see the reasons for occurrences in the world. For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the “3000 existences contained in one thought,” Lord Śākyamuni Buddha with his great compassion, wraps this jewel with … Continue reading Daily Dharma – Sept. 19, 2020
To begin with, what virtuous acts did you commit in the past existences to cause you to visit me, Nichiren, in this life? Contemplate your past lives, when you accumulated merits to encounter the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. By all means you should endeavor to get rid of the delusion of life and death … Continue reading Virtuous Acts in Past Existences
Today marks one of those artificial milestones meant to measure progress along a linear path. On this blog, it would be distance traveled in a 500 yojanas journey to a place of treasures. I have now recited the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra in shindoku 64 times since March 2015. There’s no real value … Continue reading Measures of Faith
To see a Buddha is as difficult As to see an udumbara[-flower]. To avert a misfortune is also difficult. These verses are sung by two sons of a king in a story told by the Buddha in Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, the boys have heard the Dharma from a previous … Continue reading Daily Dharma – Sept. 1, 2020
Continuing with my Office Lens houscleaning, I will be offering quotes from The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture for the next 10 days. Published by the University of Hawaii Press in 1989, this selection of essays was edited by George J. Tanabe Jr. and Willa Jane Tanabe. The Tanabes are famous – perhaps infamous – … Continue reading The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture
At 8:27 am today I received word that Rev. Ryusho Shonin had died this morning at the Syracuse VA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since July 24, 2020. Anyone who has followed this blog will understand just how important Ryusho Shonin has been in the development of my practice. Here’s a chronological snapshot … Continue reading Ryusho Kansho Jeffus Shonin
The Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7, the 21st chapter on “The Divine Powers of the Buddha,” preaches: “Suppose that after the Buddha passed away, someone who knows the causes and conditions and proper sequence of the sūtras expounded by the Buddha will preach them truthfully according to the true meaning. As the light of the sun … Continue reading When a Wise Man Appears in the World
For several days I’ve wanted to write about my new supplemental service booklet I created but I keep getting distracted. Sanshō-shima. My first attempt was sidetracked into an illustrated tour of my altar’s evolution. When I started today I got distracted updating the booklet text to include macrons that had been dropped from several words. … Continue reading Daily Practice Evolution